Unlocking the Facts

Unlocking the Facts
Find out more!
Knowing your way around The World Almanac is important if you
want to find information quickly. There are four guides you can use to
find information.
•T
he Quick Thumb Index on the back cover is most useful when you
are looking for a large section, such as Sports. Use this index by
moving your thumb from the topic on the back cover to its matching
black-edged pages and open the book.
• The Contents on page 3 of the almanac lets you know what general
topics are covered in the almanac (in the order they appear). It is
most useful when you are looking for general information or want to
browse a certain topic.
• The Quick Reference Index on the last page (1008) has many more
specific topics—such as Academy Awards or Heads of State—arranged
in alphabetical order.
• The General Index starting on page 980 is the most detailed of all,
with 28 pages of topics and subtopics covered in the almanac. It is
most useful for finding specific information, such as the languages
spoken in Switzerland.
Check it
out
Did You
Know?
The average
U.S. movie ticket price
increased from
$4.22 in 1990
to $8.17 in 2014.
Where would you look for the following information?
First check the Quick Reference Index. If you don’t find what you’re
looking for, go to the General Index. When you’ve found the answer to
each question, write the page number and topic that lead to the answer
and the index you used. If the information is not found in the General
Index under the first topic you check, then you’ll need to look for related
topics or subtopics. Sometimes you may have to look in several different
places in the index to find what you need.
Page
TopicIndex
1 How much money does the U.S. make from tourism?
2 Where was actress Jennifer Lawrence born?
3 In 1770, on the eve of the American Revolution,
which colony had the largest population?
4 What is the highest mountain peak in South America?
5 What was the most popular color for 2014 model
year luxury cars/SUVs and light trucks?
2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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© 2016 Infobase Learning
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Find Facts Fast
make connections
Use the Quick Reference Index to help find the facts below. The boldfaced words will help
you find the correct topic in the Quick Reference Index. Write the page number of the answer
in the parentheses, and write the answer on the line. Then circle the answers in the puzzle.
Answers go across, down, and diagonally.
1 Last name of 21st U.S. president
( )
2 Country whose flag is a white field with
one red circle in the center
( )
3 Planet with an average daytime surface
temperature of –162°F
( )
4 Country that is the most reliant on
nuclear energy
( )
5 Chemical element with the symbol Fe
( )
6 U.S. city with the third-largest population
in 2014
( )
7 State where Mesa Verde National Park is located
( )
8 State where the source of the Salmon River
is located
( )
9 Last name of the basketball player who was
the 1998 NBA Finals MVP
( )
10 All-time top-grossing American movie
( )
11 Holiday celebrated on June 14
( )
12 State where first lady Jacqueline Kennedy
was born
( )
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© 2016 Infobase Learning
TCM-WA2016
Connecting the Facts
make connections
Use both the Quick Reference Index and the General Index. Write the page number of the
answer in the parentheses and print the answer on the line.
1 State whose capital is Jefferson City
( )
2 Country whose flag has a single large yellow
star on a solid red background
( )
3 Birthplace of singer Taylor Swift
( )
4 Capital of Indonesia
( )
5 Pitcher who won baseball’s Cy Young Award
in 1961
( )
6 Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
under President Eisenhower
( )
7 First woman to complete a transoceanic
solo flight, in 1932
( )
8 Book awarded the 2015 Newbery Medal
( )
9 Length of the Statue of Liberty’s nose
( )
10 Winner of college football’s Heisman Trophy
in 1984
( )
11 Subject of the 13th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution
( )
12 Inventor of the lightning rod
( )
13 Winner of the 1984 Nobel Prize for Peace
( )
14 Portrait that appears on the U.S. $500 bill
( )
15 Birthplace of writer Stephen King
( )
16 Zodiac sign that comes after Taurus and before
Cancer
( )
17 State that has the northernmost city in the
United States
18 Symbol for the chemical element silver
2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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( )
( )
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Cross-Country Trip
Find out more!
Each clue below leads to one state. Write the page number of the
answer in the parentheses and the state’s postal abbreviation
(see page 367) on the line next to it.
1 Home of the first Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development
Did You
Know?
New Jersey is
the most densely
populated state. On
average, it has more
than 1,215 residents
per square mile.
Alaska, the least
densely populated
state, has only
1.3 residents per
square mile.
A
Throughout
The World Almanac,
you’ll find
fascinating facts
about every state—
including yours.
There are dozens of
topics listed under
“States, U.S.” in the
General Index, and
more information
about states can be
found using other
index entries.
( )
2 Birthplace of 29th U.S. president Warren Harding
( )
3 Site of Zion National Park
( )
4 State where Mount St. Helens volcano is located
( )
5 State where the U.S. center of population
was located in 1900
6 State with the fifth largest city by population
in 2014
( )
( )
7 State admitted to the Union on Jan. 3, 1959
( )
8 Birthplace of actor James Franco
( )
9 State with the largest office building
( )
10 State with the largest population in 2014
11 State with the largest area among the 48
contiguous states
12 State whose WNBA basketball team won the
2015 title
13 State whose population increased by more
than 42 percent between 2000 and 2014
14 State with the largest number of students enrolled
in public schools 15 State that had the lowest total energy
consumption in 2013
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
16 State with the most coastline ( )
17 State that is home to Cornell University
( )
2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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A ll-A mer ic a n Fac ts
Check it
out
Write the answers on the numbered blanks. Then put each letter into the matching numbered square in the diagram. When you’ve finished, read the grid from left
to right, starting at the top, and you’ll find the answer to the following question:
What motto appears on the Great Seal of the United States?
1
2
3
10
11
12
13
20
21
22
23
24
33
34
35
“
4
5
6
14
’
25
42
26
7
8
9
15
16
17
18
19
27
28
29
30
31
38
39
40
41
36
37
43
44
“
14 26 44
1 U.S. president during the Mexican War
2 State that entered the Union on Mar. 1, 1803
32
’
15
33 21 30
3 City settled by the Dutch in 1624 as part of
the colony of New Netherland
39 3
19 41
37 42 4
35
10 31 18
29
4 Constitutional amendment prohibiting
“unreasonable searches and seizures”
5 Railroad line joined with the Central Pacific when
the transcontinental railroad was completed
20 28
6
6 Union general who captured Vicksburg,
Mississippi, during the Civil War
7 State where the Oregon Trail began
12
13
24
9
32
40
34 5
8 City where the U.S. battleship Maine exploded,
triggering the Spanish-American War
23
16 43
9 French explorer who traveled with Louis
Jolliet down the Mississippi River
8 1
7
36 11
10 Rebellious act by colonists Dec. 16, 1773
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Armchair Traveling
Find out more!
Did You
Know?
In 2014,
South America
welcomed more
than 2.2 million
visitors from the
United States.
Using the map on pages 480-81, plan a five-stop tour of South
America, starting in Buenos Aires. Do you want to spend most
of your time in major cities or in rural areas, or divide your
time about equally between the two? How many countries
do you want to visit? The Nations of the World section of the
almanac will help you make your travel decisions.
Number and label the stops you expect to make on the map of
South America below. The first stop, Buenos Aires, is done as an
example. You can visit popular tourist destinations, the seashore,
the mountains, or any place that captures your imagination.
Stop 1 Buenos Aires, capital of
Argentina
Stop 2 Stop 3
Stop 4
Stop 5
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Buenos Aires
Page 6
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Flags of the World
Find out more!
Find the answers to the following questions by looking at the flags section on pages 473-76 of The
World Almanac.
1 How many stars are on Burundi’s flag?
2 What color are the stars on China’s flag?
3 Are all the stars on Samoa’s flag the same size?
4 What shape do the stars on Venezuela’s flag form?
Check it
out
Now use the Quick Thumb Index to find the Nations of the
World section. Draw a line from each of the following nations
to its type of government.
Bahrain
Did You
Know?
Most nations’ flags
are rectangular, but
Nepal’s flag has an
untraditional shape:
the red flag with
white symbols and
a blue border looks
like two triangles,
one above the other.
Switzerland and
Vatican City have
square flags.
A
There are common
elements in many
flags. Stars are often
used as symbols, as are
stripes, crosses, and
the color red.
Nauru
Venezuela
Monarchy
Liechtenstein
Denmark
El Salvador
Republic
Mozambique
Finland
Sweden
make connections
On the back of this sheet, design a flag for your family. The
symbols you choose could be of special interests, symbols of your
state or town, or something representing your parents’ ethnic
backgrounds. Explain the meanings of the symbols you chose. Have
fun!
2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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© 2016 Infobase Learning
TCM-WA2016
Picking a President
Find out more!
Did You
Know?
Only three presidents
in U.S. history lost
the popular vote but
captured a majority of Electoral College votes to win the
election. They were
Rutherford B. Hayes
in 1876, Benjamin
Harrison in 1888, and
George W. Bush in
2000. In the 1824 election, Andrew Jackson won the popular
vote, but no candidate
had a majority (more
than half) of electoral
votes; the House of
Representatives chose
John Quincy Adams
as president.
Check it out
1 At least how many Electoral College votes does a presidential
candidate need to win an election?
2 Which president is buried in New York, New York?
3 How many children did President John Quincy Adams have?
4 Whose presidential library is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan?
5 Who was the first president to be born in a hospital?
6 Who was the first president to hold an Internet chat?
7 What third-party presidential candidate ran as a Socialist in
every election from 1900 to 1912?
8 What presidential election since 1932 had the highest voter turnout
rate?
9 Which state is the home state of the most presidents?
10 What third party did Martin Van Buren represent in the 1848
presidential election?
Unscramble the names of the following presidents. Then write a fact
about each president on the line that follows.
11 morfille
12 feejsnofr
13 gradhin
14 roomen
15 ruthar
16 rashonri
17 chanbanu
18 drof
2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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Facts and Figures
make connections
Sentences A through P below can be completed with a number. Write the page number of the
correct answer in the parentheses, and write the answer on the line. Then put each answer
(number) in the square with the matching letter on the grid.
When you are done, each row and column will form a mathematical equation that can be solved from
left to right or top to bottom.
A The name of a famous auto racing competition is
K Rio 2 is ranked number _____ on the 50 top-
the Indianapolis ____________________. ( )
grossing movies in 2014 list. ( )
L The width of the Statue of Liberty’s mouth is _____
B Michigan’s rank among state populations in 2014
feet. ( )
was __________________. ( )
M Andrew Jackson was the _____th president of the
C The total number of seats Florida and Alabama
United States. ( )
have apportioned to them in the U.S. House of
Representatives is _______________. ( )
D
N The total number of bills passed by Congress
that President Warren G. Harding vetoed is
_______. ( )
he number of home runs Socks Seybold hit
T
in 1902 to lead the American League was
____________. ( )
O The atomic number for the element oxygen (O)
is _____________________. ( )
E Talley’s Folly won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in
P In 2014, American Kennel Club ranked the
19_____________. ( )
Shetland Sheepdog number ______________ in
total breed registrations. ( )
F Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running
Broadway show, opened on Jan. 26,
198_______________. ( )
A
G The denomination of U.S. paper currency
bearing a portrait of Abraham Lincoln is the
______ dollar bill. ( )
E
H The smallest prime number is _________.
( )
I Diamonds are traditional wedding anniversary
gifts given for _________ years of marriage. ( )
J Armenia’s flag has _________ stripes. ( )
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© 2016 Infobase Learning
TCM-WA2016
Getting Around the Facts
Find out more!
Did You
Know?
Whether they’re taking a vacation or driving to work, people travel
a lot. Here are some questions about transportation and travel. Write
the page number of the answer in the parentheses, and circle the letter of the correct answer. Then transfer the letters onto the numbered
blanks at the bottom of the page.
1 Which country produced the most
The Port of South
Louisiana—the
busiest port in the
United States—
handled more than
238 million tons
of cargo in 2013.
The busiest U.S.
airport—HartsfieldJackson Atlanta—
served more than 96
million passengers in
2014. When it comes
to transportation,
there are many ways
for people and products to get from here
to there. Travelers
can catch a bus, hop
in a car, or board
an airplane. Stop
and think for a
minute about how
transportation
affects your life.
How did the food
you ate for breakfast
get to you? How
did you travel to
school today?
cars in 2013? ( )
S United States
T China
5 Who was the first woman in space?
( )
H Valentina Tereshkova
I Sally Ride
U Japan
J Shannon Lucid
2 In what country is the world’s tallest roller coaster located? ( )
G United Arab Emirates
H United States
I Australia
3 Who invented the helicopter?
( )
D Sikorsky
E Wright
F Lindbergh
6 Amelia Earhart became the first
woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in what year? ( )
D 1930
E 1932
F 1928
7 What was the top-selling passenger
car in the U.S. in 2014? ( )
E Toyota Camry
F Ford Fusion
G Honda Accord
4 Which ship sank in May 1915?
( )
U Titanic
V General Slocum
W Lusitania
8 Which was the busiest Amtrak
station in 2014? ( )
J Washington, DC
K Philadelphia, PA
L New York, NY
What was the most important invention
in the history of transportation?
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Facts You Can Count On
Find out more!
Do these facts add up? Find the Weights and Measures chapter, and
(equals) or a / (does not equal)
complete each statement with an
sign. If the two items are not equal, replace the underlined number
with one that would make them equal.
=
1 1 acre
______ 4,840 square yards __________________________________
2 1 tablespoon
Did You
Know?
To find the volume
of a rectangular
prism, multiply the
length by the width
by the height.
A
The next time you
need a little help
with your math
homework, turn
to your almanac.
You’ll find mathematical formulas,
tables of weights
and measures,
and conversion
charts for temperature and metric
measurements.
=
______ 3 fluid drams ________________________________
3 25 degrees Celsius
______ 77 degrees Fahrenheit ___________________
4
1 kilogram ______ 1.1 pounds _____________________________________
5
1 meter ______ 36 inches _________________________________________
Now find the answers to these mathematical questions. Write the page
number of the correct answer in the parentheses and the answer on
the line.
6 What does each of these prefixes mean?
a. mega ( ) __________________________________________________
b. nano ( ) __________________________________________________
c. yocto ( ) __________________________________________________
7 What is each of the following measures associated with?
a. ream ( ) __________________________________________________
b. knot ( ) ___________________________________________________
c. decibel ( ) ________________________________________________
8 How long is an inch in centimeters? ( ) _________________________
9 How can you abbreviate these words?
a. barrel ( ) __________________________________________________
b. gallon ( ) ________________________________________________
10 What is the Roman numeral for 90? ( 2016 Finding Facts in The World Almanac ®
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) ________________________
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Athletic Facts
Use the following clues to solve this crossword! Write the page number of
the answer after each clue (in the parentheses), and put the answer itself
in the crossword. When a person’s name is asked for, give the last name.
When a professional team’s name is asked for, use the team nickname.
Check it out
1
2
3
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5
7
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10
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12
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Across
Down
1 Woman who won the 100-meter and 200meter backstroke in the 2012 Summer
Olympic Games (
)
5 Winner of Super Bowl XXXIV ( )
6 Country that will host the 2022 Winter
Olympic Games (
)
7 1963 NCAA Division I men’s basketball
champion (
)
9 1994 MLB American League Most Valuable
Player (
)
12 WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2007 ( )
13 Woman who won the 1980 New York
Marathon (
1 2010 winner of the Indianapolis 500 ( )
2 Wimbledon women’s singles champion
in 1975 (
3 Country whose athletes won the most gold
medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics (
)
4 Boxing heavyweight champion 1908-15 ( )
8 Ladies Professional Golf Association leading
money winner in 1978 (
)
10 1972 Olympic men’s 100-meter freestyle
swimmer who won gold (
)
11 Winner of the Tour de France bike race in
1966 (
)
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